Monday, April 30, 2012

Monday, April 16, 2012

I recently saw great pairs of Japanese socks on the uber-hip Jake Davis blog. I'm hitting the books hard this next month then heading off for a very brief stay (a.k.a. strategically planned /extremely long layover) in Tokyo on my way to Beijing this summer. I've been looking desperately for these Tabio socks in recent weeks and today Google's creepy marketing wizardry conveniently placed this video on the side panel of the Youtube homepage for me. I guess the future of AI isn't as grim as Sarah Connor predicted after all!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Here's a hit by Allen Stone via my cousin -- a talented musician and member of a soul/garage band. This song has been in heavy circulation serving as a soundtrack to my Saturday morning memo-writing sessions.

Monday, March 12, 2012

I met the Phantom Street Artist when I was 14 years old. Few people may know that the street artist, widely known for his iconic album cover artwork for Rage Against the Machine's Battle for Los Angeles, is also a talented wrestler. He was one of my first wrestling mentors. We trained wherever we could - frequenting wrestling rooms and gyms in and around around East LA and the Greater San Gabriel Valley year-round. Over the years the Phantom has remained a close family friend.

Here's a video of one of his latest performances, "You Don't Know What Art Is."

In recent years the Phantom has incorporated live performances into his exhibitions. Using an almost obsessive attention to detail, his performance creates an undeniable aura. Initially I found the homemade aesthetic of the props and lighting captivating -- almost like I was watching a school play. Then the camera work and monologue intensified while the noise on the film a gradually evoked the morbid feel of 1990s crime scene footage. This bold critique of the politics of the art world is a breathe of fresh air. Enjoy.